Ideally, we should be using a VPN at all times, but some situations make this tool all the more important. With growing concerns over online privacy, A VPN is your best defense against the prying eyes of ISPs.
But, more than being a service that masks your IP, a VPN can also help with bypassing geo-blocks, safe torrenting, and securing your Wi-Fi connection. If you are still on the edge, we’ll show you why you really need a VPN.
Protect Against Cyberattacks
Did you know that a hacker attack happens every 39 seconds? Hackers use multiple methods such as phishing, identity theft, malware attacks, theft of passwords, and data leaks to compromise your online security.
Ordinarily, when you are browsing the internet, anyone who is looking can see the websites you are visiting. With your data lying bare for anyone to see, hackers can easily intercept this data and access things like your passwords and credit card information – the rest will be history.
A VPN is particularly necessary if you regularly connect to public Wi-Fi. Even though your favorite coffee shop feels like the coziest most secure place, free Wi-Fi is not. The open nature of public networks easily allows hackers to snoop on everything you are doing online.
Even if you are just checking the news or sports scores, any data you put online can be used against you.
If internet security is a priority, you definitely need a VPN. To find out how a VPN can keep you safe and secure against malicious snooping and eavesdropping by hackers, we recommend that read more here.
Bypass Region-Blocked Content
Are you a streaming buff who wants to unlock and discover content from different parts of the world? Nothing is more annoying than trying to access a website only to be told that the site is unavailable in your country.
Ideally, with all the capabilities of the internet, anyone should be able to access any website regardless of his or her geographical location. However, copyright issues limit the type of content people in different parts of the world can see.
A VPN is the only way around these content restrictions.
A common misconception is that, as long as you are a resident of a certain country, you can watch any show in that country even if you are not physically in the country. However, streaming sites use IP addresses to detect users’ geographical location and to determine the shows to broadcast in each country.
For example, as a US citizen or resident, you might have signed up for an HBO GO account while in the country. In this case, you might wonder – do I need a VPN? After all, I opened my HBO account in the US.
The answer is – yes, you do.
The moment you travel abroad, you will be unable to access your US account. The website will detect that you are not in the USA and block you from streaming your favorite shows, so you will see something like this:
It goes without saying that if you want to watch HBO outside of the United States, a VPN is absolutely necessary.
A VPN masks your real IP address and assigns you a different one based on your chosen location, which would be the US in this case. Choose a provider with multiple dedicated servers, so you can have the option to connect to the best server for streaming the content you want.
Download and Share Torrent Files Risk-Free
Torrenting is a grey area. While you are free to share files with other internet users, it is not always easy to tell if a file is copyright-protected. The sharing of copyright-protected material has its own consequences.
For example, your ISP can throttle your internet if they snoop and find out that you are downloading copyrighted files.
What’s more, because torrenting exposes your IP address, entities such as the government or hackers can intercept your data and trace your physical location. There is a real risk of getting arrested and charged you if you are caught distributing and selling copyrighted material.
Whether you are a frequent torrenter or you want to get started with torrenting, you cannot afford the luxury of not using a VPN. A good one will consistently hide your activities from your ISP, allowing you to download files risk-free.
Importantly, as a torrenter, you need a provider that does not keep any record of your online activity. They should also be fast enough to allow you to download files equally fast.
Need a VPN You Can Trust?
Looking for a VPN you can depend on? We recommend that you check out ExpressVPN. For starters, the provider is located in the British Virgin Islands, a privacy-friendly location.
Additionally, ExpressVPN encrypts your data using military-grade technology and boasts multiple servers across the globe, so you are sure to find a server to connect to in your target country.
Impressively, this provider is offering a 49% discount and 3 months free if you sign up for the 12-month plan.
So, if you were wondering if a VPN necessary, the answer is yes. More so if you want to bypass geo-blocks, share P2P files safely, or avoid prying by your ISP.
Flo is the founder of the-bestvpn.com. Really concerned about security on internet, he decided to create this website in order to help everyone find the best VPN. He’s got a Business School background and now is 100% dedicated to keeping his website alive.
